CBS has televised the Masters in the United States every year since 1956,[1][2][3] when it used six cameras and covered only the final four holes.
These broadcasts use the CBS Sports production staff and commentators, although then-ESPN personality Mike Tirico previously served as a studio host (replacing Bill Macatee's role under USA Network).
[7][6] As previously mentioned, CBS has televised the Masters Tournament in the United States every year since 1956,[8][9] when it used six cameras and covered only the final four holes.
While Augusta National Golf Club has consistently chosen CBS as its U.S. broadcast partner, it has done so on successive one-year contracts.
[10] Due to the lack of long-term contractual security, as well as the club's limited dependence on broadcast rights fees (owing to its affluent membership), it is widely held that CBS allows Augusta National greater control over the content of the broadcast, or at least perform some form of self-censorship, in order to maintain future rights.
[11] Announcers who have been deemed not to have acted with the decorum expected by the club have been removed, notably Jack Whitaker[13] and analyst Gary McCord.
[11] Whitaker referred to the gallery at the end of the 18-hole Monday playoff in 1966 as a "mob" and missed five years (1967–1971);[13] McCord last worked on the Masters telecast in 1994, being banned that summer after using the terms bikini wax and body bags in his descriptions.
CBS had lost the rights to the National Football Conference to Fox (where Summerall and his broadcasting colleague, John Madden would soon move over to) prior to the 1994 NFL season.
But much like Vin Scully did in 1982 after calling his final NFL game (the NFC Championship Game between the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys), Pat Summerall stayed at CBS a couple more months so he could make the 1994 Masters his final broadcast for CBS, where he was a mainstay for over 30 years.
The USA Network began first and second round Masters coverage in 1982,[20][21] which was also produced by the CBS production team.
Initially, the USA Network provided Thursday and Friday coverage for 2 hours live each day along with a prime time replay.
ESPN originally used Mike Tirico and Curtis Strange as their commentary team inside Butler Cabin.
From the 2011 Masters, Sky Sports began broadcasting all four days, as well as the par 3 contest in HD and, for the first time, in 3D.
[23] From 2020, live coverage moved to Sky on an exclusive basis, with the BBC showing highlights of each days play.
In 2013, Global and TSN began selling advertising directly, and jointly produced their own preview and highlights shows for Canadian audiences (while still carrying ESPN/CBS coverage for the tournament itself).
[citation needed] In Spain, Canal+ held the Masters rights since the 1990s up until July 2015, when they were transferred to Telefónica after the Spanish telecommunications company bought Canal+.